


Pieces

by saurgristiel



Series: Pieces [3]
Category: Gackt (Musician) RPF, GacktJOB
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Blood, Drama, Hospitalization, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Major Character Injury, Nudity, they have a daughter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-05-03 04:56:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14561346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saurgristiel/pseuds/saurgristiel
Summary: Gackt and You go and get something they should have had a few years before. And their lives change.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It gets a lot heavier after this chapter.
> 
> Originally posted to Livejournal on July 18 - November 17, 2012.

“Oh Gaku… They’re beautiful…” You looked inside the box that Gackt was holding out for him. He’d seen some doodles that his lover had done, but to see the final rings was amazing.

Gackt hummed and smiled. He was impressed by the rings as well. His jeweler was amazing. “Look on the inside.”

You plucked a ring out and saw something engraved there. He reached inside his hoodie’s pouch and pulled his glasses out, wishing he’d worn his contacts today.

“’I’m You’s’” he read aloud. He turned the ring around and was a nice sized, but not too flashy, diamond and 3 colored stones. _Mine, Gaku, and Chi’s birthstones, and onyx…_ he realized. “And the other says ‘I’m Gackt’s’, right?”

“Yes.” Gackt affirmed as he took the other ring out. “Give me your hand.” He held his out and waited for You.

You’s heart was beating almost as hard as when Gackt had dragged him out of the hotel one morning to get married. He gave Gackt his hand.

“We already have everything except the rings. I think we’ve waited long enough…” Gackt slipped the ring onto You’s finger and You did the same for him. After the ring was set on Gackt’s finger, You pulled him by the unzipped halves of his gray hoodie across the armrest and kissed him deeply. They’d done the vows years ago; there was nothing that needed to be said now. Gackt slid one hand up and caressed You’s cheek before accidentally pressing the horn with the other hand while trying to find leverage.

They both broke the kiss, laughing with their foreheads pressed together.

Gackt cleared his throat and settled back into his seat when he noticed his jeweler had come out to see what the noise was for. Gackt waved at him and he went back inside.

“Right, well, let’s get this last ride done.” He caressed his Lambo’s steering wheel before turning her on again.

“Hrm, yes, then we can consummate our… ring-getting…” They both chuckled as You stroked his thigh.

You watched his lover drive through the country, then city. Gackt had gone au naturale today: no contacts, no makeup, no hair products other than shampoo, only his onyx bracelet, even light on the Platinum Egoiste. Dressed in clean workout clothes, aside from Gackt’s posture, they could blend in. Though, it helped that they had both gotten up at Gackt’s ungodly hour of the “morning” so they could beat traffic and the crowds. They had been talking the night before about going to Ueno Zoo, but hadn’t come to a decision on that.

Aside from picking up their gorgeous rings, this was the last ride of the Lamborghini. It wasn’t exactly a family car, so they were going to semi-retire it, at least until Chihiro was 18. A car with more seating room was going to replace this one’s spot in the main garage.

 _Chi…_ You thought as he opened his cell phone to see a picture of their daughter as his wallpaper. She was going on 6 now. You snaked his hand over and held his lover’s, who glanced over to see what was up.

“We should take Chi with us to the zoo if we go today…” Gackt said, though he knew they really couldn’t. They were just too noticeable in full daylight. Of course, it didn’t help that nearly everyone knew who Gackt was. Even if they hated him, they still knew him.

You squeezed his hand in sympathy. That fact had been the bulk of their discussion last night. Disguises could only last so long. And when someone found out, the whole internet knew in a matter of minutes. It had happened before, and luckily Gackt’s bodyguards were around those couple of times. It was why Chi went to a private school, with her cousins. Why Miyuki, Gackt’s sister, took her clothes shopping. They loved their daughter very much, but they just couldn’t be a normal family in public.

It was a beautiful June day as they drove down the streets to see how busy the zoo was. _Too busy…_ they both thought as they continued their scenic, long drive home.

You looked down at his ring again. Gackt had made a beautiful scrollwork vine design on the sides with little petals around each small stone. He’d designed a gorgeous, but subtle, ring that people shouldn’t go “oooooh” over. They’d worn each other’s rings before, that was certainly nothing new, and You wondered if anyone would notice these rings.

And then he thought _‘So what… Gaku’s called us everything from brothers to soulmates, only rabid fangirls would see it as anything more…’_ You smiled.

“I love you.” He said as they were stopped behind two cars at a light.

“I love You.” Gackt said in English. Even though You knew English as well, he loved the sound of that sentiment in Japanese so much more.

“It’s sexier in Japanese, Gaku…”

Gackt chuckled. “I know you think so…” He grasped You’s hand and kissed the back of it. He kept his eyes forward as they started moving again.

“Aishiteru…” He said as sexily as he could.

 

 

 

 

And then the world went black.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our two lovers are injured, one more than the other…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *hands out tissues*
> 
> This started out as an addition to “Responsibility” by takinchimera [(which unfortunately doesn't exist anymore)](http://gacktjob-fics.livejournal.com/64892.html#cutid7) , but it ran away and came back with friends and took on a life of its own.

He sat there in the hallway, in a wheelchair, looking through the glass wall at his lover. Tubes and wires everywhere, bandages, monitors, all to make sure that he was alive and kept that way. They wouldn’t let him in the room, something about keeping germs away. He hadn’t really processed it yet.

There was a nurse in the room and it looked like she was prepping another tube to go into him. He fidgeted in his wheelchair. The doctor hadn’t talked to him since just after he’d been admitted about a dozen rooms away from this one. A nurse had helped him down here, after he’d demanded it. Even on the High-Profile floor, you were treated like a child by some people.

He continued staring at his lover even after the nurse had closed the blinds. He wondered where that tube was going to go, There weren’t many places left. A bandage around his head, butterfly closures on his face, a black eye, neck brace, 4 IV bags (2 were clear, 2 were red), and his leg was still in a splint, it looked like they hadn’t gotten to that yet.

“Excuse me, sir? Are you okay?” A young nurse held out a little package of tissues to him.

“Huh?”

“You’re crying.” She motioned to the tissues in her hands.

“Oh…” He took her offered tissues and wiped his eyes. “Th-thanks…”

"If you need anything, sir, don’t hesitate to ask.” She smiled sweetly at him and bowed, returning to her duties,

He himself was in much better shape than his partner. He had a soft neck brace, for whiplash, and an ankle and knee brace. And an IV for fluids, of course. They’d said he was lucky to have so few injuries, considering the state of their car now. But he didn’t feel that way. He felt empty and lost, since his lover was so hurt. _That tube down his throat…_

Suddenly the blinds opened again and the nurse collected up her cart of instruments.

“Nurse!” He called to her as she came out of the room. He wasn’t quite pointed in the right direction, but he hoped she noticed. He ached just calling to her.

“Yes, sir?” She left her cart and leaned down so that he didn’t have to strain his neck.

“When is the doctor going to be here?”

“I can go get him for you, if you’d like?”

“Yes, please.” She looked at his hospital bracelet then smiled and bowed, taking her cart with her.

He went back to looking at his lover, gripping the tissues in his hands.

“You-chan!” A woman called, almost jogging towards him. She dropped her purse and tried to catch her breath. “I’m sorry I took so long. The kids had to get out of school, then off to their fathers’…” She panted.

“I know, Miyu…” He wiped at his cheeks again.

“How are you?”

You attempted a shrug, but then just looked into his lover’s room. Miyuki followed his eyes and gasped at the sight of her brother.

“Oh… God…” Both of Miyuki’s hands went to her mouth and she sank to her knees. You rubbed her shoulder as she put her whole face in her hands.

They stayed that way for quite a while, until Miyuki calmed down. She composed herself, but didn’t look back at her brother. “Has anyone talked to you yet?” Her voice wavered as she spoke.

“Not yet… A nurse went to get his doctor…”

“It’s been so lo-”

“Excuse me, are you related to Camui-san here?”

They both looked up at the doctor. “I’m his sister and… um… yes.” _Real smooth there Miyuki…_

“Let’s go to my office and talk. Follow me.”

Miyuki picked her purse back up and pushed You’s chair after the doctor.

~*~*~

After they had all been seated, they did introductions. This was Doctor Tajiri and he was the head Immediate Trauma doctor. He would be looking after You and Gackt until they were stable enough to be released and moved to the regular ICU, respectively.

The department they were in was a secure area for the VIPs of Tokyo and Japan: celebrities, politicians, CEOs; anyone who needed protection from the general public. It was its own mini-hospital inside Tokyo University Hospital.

“So the two of you were in a car accident, centered on the driver’s side, correct?”

“Yes.” You answered.

On the large TV screen on the wall, they saw the doctor bring up You’s medical file.

“Kurosaki-san, you have pretty minor injuries: a bit of whiplash, a sprained ankle, and a dislocated kneecap, which has been returned to its proper position. Aside from the bruising from your seatbelt, you’ll be fine in a few days to a couple of weeks. Camui-san however…” He closed You’s file and brought up Gackt’s. He took a breath, wondering where to start. He found that in situations like this, clinical explanations, without trying to sympathize too much and therefore draw out the pain, worked best.

“It seems that the SUV that hit you did not even try to slow down, so he took the brunt of the impact. His injuries certainly reflect that. We’ll start from the bottom up.” He brought up an X-ray of Gackt’s lower left leg. “As you can see, his tibia and fibula are broken in multiple places. There are also hairline fractures in his patella and a few of the small bones in his ankle and foot. The hairline ones will do fine just with stabilization, but he will need surgery for the tibia and fibula. We haven’t done that yet because he’s had enough physical stress for the day. As long as he makes it through the night, we’ll schedule it in the next couple of days.”

He brought up an image of Gackt’s hips. “There are no large fractures from knee to waist, or on his right side, but there is some bone bruising, which is the stage just before a fracture.”

And another now, of his abdomen. “The reason that access to him has been restricted is that we had to remove his spleen. It had ruptured during the accident and that is what this darkness is on the image.” He used a large mouse cursor to point it out. “His left kidney is bruised as well, as are a little bit of other organs, but spleens are more fragile than the others. The spleen helps the immune system, so for the first couple of years without a spleen, it is easier to get sick. His body has enough to fix right now without having to fight off more germs.”

Now an X-ray of his chest. “Here on his left are four broken ribs, and one on his right. We have the four on the left secured because that many being broken can have an impact on breathing. One of them also managed to scrape his lung, but didn’t puncture it. We suspect that his left wrist is sprained as well, since there is some swelling, but no fractures. We have it stabilized, just in case.”

The doctor moved a tissue box closer to Miyuki and she wiped her eyes. The doctor gave them a few moments to collect themselves before he moved on. He then brought up a complied 3D CT scan of Gackt’s head. You’s passing interest in anatomy meant that he could recognize the sutures of the skull and could tell those apart from the fractures. He suspected Miyuki could too.

Head trauma was always the hardest for the doctor to tell the family about. “From the ER evaluation, we suspect there is no spinal damage, which is backed up by the CT scans, but humans are strange sometimes…”

The words ‘ER evaluation’ gave You conflicting feelings. Gackt had not been conscious the last time he had seen him. Had he woken up in the ER? You wiped at his cheeks at the thought of his lover waking up like that. But it meant that Gackt wasn’t dead yet, since he woke up. There was still hope that he’d be okay…

“As you can probably see, there is quite a fracture here. The Neurology team decided to remove that part of his skull to give his brain room to swell. Not only do you have the force of the impact, which caused the fracture, but you have the inertia as well and the brain can… for lack of a better term, slosh… back and forth and then swell from hitting the opposite side of the skull. They measured his cranial pressure and found that it was rather high, and that’s why they made the decision.

“He’s in an induced coma, both to keep his brain quiet and to keep him from suffering from his injuries. We won’t know the extent of any physical or mental deficiencies until he wakes up, if he does. His whole left side is one big injury. He’s in severely critical condition right now. We’re watching him very closely for any changes. Of course, we hope he’ll make it through the night, but as you can see, we’re going to have to do our best to help him. There are a few decisions that will have to be made by the end of the week, and I’ll give you some material to read later. He is somewhat stabilized, and his EEG readings are good for someone in that condition, so there is hope… We’ll have to see what the week brings.”

You couldn’t take his eyes off the image of his lover’s broken skull. Miyuki and the doctor were talking, but he wasn’t really hearing it. He felt increasingly colder as things settled into his brain. His ears caught a few words that yanked his attention away. “What?”

“Um… his heart did stop during surgery. They got it restarted quickly though, which is a good thing. We’re monitoring everything that’s going on in his body, and right now there seems to be no ill effects from it. His oxygen saturation stayed as high as could be expected, but with the other injuries, it would be hard to tell if anything was impacted by it. I personally believe it was just a little hiccup, his body reacting the way a body does to this much stress. I think he’ll be alright in regards to that issue.”

You wanted to reprimand him for not telling them that his lover’s heart _stopped_ during surgery, back when they were talking about it. His lover was _dead_ , no matter how short a time. But he couldn’t muster the strength. He just sat there, lost in his own mind while Miyuki and the doctor continued talking for a few more minutes.

“Where are his, and my, things?”

“They should be in the ER or this floor’s secure personal effects room. I’ll have someone get them for you.”

“Thanks…”

~*~*~

“This has to be hell...” You was back in his hospital room with Miyuki keeping him company and filling him in on what he had tuned out earlier.

“How are either of these choices _good_?” If Gackt was not showing signs of improving by the week’s end, the wanted to do a tracheotomy (which they preferred to do for their long term coma patients that needed the help breathing), _to cut his throat open_. And You and Miyuki had to make the choice. Risk Gackt’s vocal chords settling, adjusting, to a tube in his throat, for who knew how long, and other possible damage? Or risk nerve damage and preserve his chords, but maybe never sing or talk again? Really, neither choice mattered if he didn’t survive or never woke up. They were assured that the doctor had done thousands of surgeries, just like this (in fact he only did these), was the best in Japan and never had any nerve damage. It was almost like the guy knew where each patient’s nerves were so that he could avoid them, even in emergencies. But they still had to make the choice. It could ruin his career. If he even had one left when all was said and done.

That was another thing. One of them had to tell everyone in their ‘family’ and then the public. Gackt couldn’t just go missing (again), and the fans deserved to know, not just hear speculations and news reports of a car crash, or photos on the web. You was almost afraid to look at their cell phones when he got them back.

You rubbed his face. The day had started out so beautifully, if a bit early. It was not ungodly hot yet, even though it was late June, the sunrise had been beautiful, and the sunlight glinting off the dewed trees and grass gave everything a fairy tale look. It had been a big trick.

There was a knock at the door. “Excuse me. I’ve brought Kurosaki and Camui-san’s belongings.” The small nurse brought two large bags in with her and set them on the desk in the room. Then she bowed and left. Miyuki closed the notebook/binder that the doctor had given her (with explanations of all that was wrong with her brother and their treatment plans) and put it in her purse. She brought both bags to You’s bed and started to go thru them, numbly separating the bloody, cut clothes from the smaller items.

“Oh You… Are these…?” She held the two rings up together.

“Yes…”

“They’re gorgeous…” she examined them before putting them down. They needed to be cleaned.

You reached for their onyx bracelets, a bead breaking and landing on the bed. “Glasses?” Miyuki handed them to him. He brought the bracelets closer and examined them. _Every single bead_ was cracked on both bracelets. _‘Oh man…’_

A tear streaked down You’s cheek. _‘They did their best…’_ He gently stroked the bracelets and said ‘thank you’. He took his glasses off and set them and the bracelets on the bed and started properly crying. Miyuki moved everything and comforted You as best she could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: The medical stuff will be a bit… not quite right, but hey, it’s alternate universe. The timeline has also been played with, some things have happened (YFC, 3-11, Bunraku), and some things haven’t (“Not Alone” isn’t written yet, 3-11 is sometime in the past, but not just over a year, Moon Saga has not happened). Just a heads up for some events that may seem a bit off.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Recovery begins, and friends and family visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to [](https://hydeist-haido.livejournal.com/profile)[hydeist_haido](https://hydeist-haido.livejournal.com/), since she’s been the only commenter.

You had perfected the art of sleeping while sitting straight up by now. He was in a wheelchair, his crutches leaning against a wall near the door. His hand was resting on top of Gackt’s.

The last week and a half had been crazy. The first call had been to their parents, of course, then to the managers, agents, and personal lawyers. You only lasted one day before he had Miyuki change his voicemail message to direct callers to their lawyer, who now had the job of family spokesperson. He checked his phone every time it rang to see if it was someone “important”. An auto-reply e-mail had also been set up. Two special e-mail accounts had been made too: One for press inquiries, which the management and lawyers handled; and one for fans to send their well-wishes.

You’s body didn’t hurt as much as it had on the day of the accident, but his spirit still hurt. Gackt had had surgery to fix his leg and do a tracheotomy. His lower leg was in what You would later describe as a “bear trap”. They had put a couple of plates in to secure bones and had used pins that were externally secured to hold others in the right place. Gackt also had a feeding tube down his nose and they’d changed his IV to something more permanent in his chest. The doctors were talking less doom and gloom about his chances of surviving. His body was healing as they expected it to be after 10 days, his urine had cleared up a bit, no longer tinged red from the bruised kidney, and his incisions were looking good. His cranial pressure had initially increased, but it had plateaued and gone down a little bit over the last 2 days. He was, however, still in the induced coma.

Now You’s neck didn’t hurt with every miniscule movement, and he could move his knee and ankle when it was unsecured.

You’s lips had just parted behind his facemask as his parents walked in and got germ-free.

“Sweetheart…” You’s mother cooed as she very gently stroked his arm. You’s eyes fluttered and it took him a second to realize it was his mother.

“Mom… Dad…” They’d stopped by earlier, to support their son while Gackt was in surgery.

“Son.” His dad gently patted his shoulder.

After a brief update about the day, You’s parents sat down and started talking about their day and news from Kyoto. You just wanted them there, it didn’t matter what they talked about. It could be last night’s dinner at a fancy Tokyo restaurant, or their neighbor’s stupid cat, it didn’t matter. What mattered was that You felt the love increase exponentially when his parents came.

The same couldn’t be said about Gackt’s parents though. They’d been there three times, and although You understood his parents were different than Gackt’s, You only felt the love rise a little. Gackt’s mom showed her concern by calling Gackt and You her “babies” and spending most of the time right next to the bed. His father tended to pace, like wearing a track in the floor was a prayer. You couldn’t take too much of them being around.

Then there was “The Talk” he’d had with Gackt’s father in the rooftop courtyard garden. You understood the concern, so he was polite, but was annoyed that the man thought that he’d abandon Gackt and their daughter. He would never give up on Gackt, even if it led to frightful or horrible things.

~~~

It was around 8pm when Miyuki came to pick You up. He’d been officially discharged three days after the accident and he and Miyuki were splitting shifts sitting with Gackt. She was there at night while You got some sleep and spent time with Chihiro. Gackt’s staff had stepped up and there was always someone at the house to help with the kids or do other tasks. They really were a giant family, that sentiment wasn’t just idealistic words.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Two weeks since the accident and You could finally ditch the knee brace. His ankle felt better with pressure on it, so it stayed wrapped.

Gackt was on the same pace of recovery, though they’d pulled back on the sedation just a little. He had also been moved to the regular ICU of the VIP department.

You was reading through Gackt’s treatment binder when he heard a quiet knock on the door. All visits were scheduled through one of Gackt amazing assistants, and You hadn’t been expecting anyone. He looked up and saw Gackt’s mother there.

“How is he doing today?”

“Improving, slowly.” He closed the binder. “Where is your husband?”

“Playing Pachinko… I know we’re supposed to schedule…”

“It’s alright. Come on in.”

She sterilized and put a mask on, then took a seat on the other side of Gackt’s bed. She carefully took her son’s hand and stroked it. She never said much when she was here, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence.

“He’ll wake up when he’s ready… You know?”

“Yes, I know.” She said that every time she was here too.

“He always has… even when he was little…”

You’d been told stories from Gackt’s childhood, so he knew what she was talking about. He just wasn’t so sure that this time would be like the others.

After about fifteen minutes, a small gasp broke the relative silence. ‘He twitched… His fingers…”

“The doctor said that could happen…” You whispered. A twitch here or there didn’t necessarily mean anything, he was still too sedated to wake up.

“Take your time, Gaku… We can wait. We want you to be 100% when you wake up…”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Three weeks after the accident, You had gone to see the Lamborghini and sign some paperwork to keep it there for a while longer. It was a crumpled heap of metal, the driver’s side door was mangled, the roof peeled off. A few hundred thousand dollars… gone…

~~~

You was currently sitting in the VIP cafeteria. It was a little small, but suited the VIP department’s traffic. Megumi was feeding their newest child while Hyde had some alone time with Gackt.

“You know…” Megumi started. You set down his latte. “Hyde’s been torn up terribly… But he’s had so much to do with L’Arc and Vamps…”

You nodded.

“I wonder about the three of you sometimes…”

You cocked his head. “About…?”

“What you do when Hyde goes out with Gackt…”

You had a feeling he knew where this was going. “You worry it’ll be a repeat of Taiwan…”

“Yes…” She looked especially troubled.

“How long have you known?”

“After we got the e-mail from your lawyer about the accident.”

_Three weeks ago? It took him this long to tell her?_

“When did Gackt tell you?”

“When I got to Taiwan…” They’d been scheduled to share a room, but three nights into You’s stay, Gackt broke. The tension from You had been too much, You had seen and heard too much, so he came clean. But they were past that and they were all good friends now.

Maybe Hyde was afraid that Gackt wouldn’t make it, that Megumi wouldn’t have a chance to forgive either of them. Who knows why he chose _now_ to tell her.

“You seem to have handled it well…”

You smiled, “Not at the time. I spent the rest of the stay in a separate room. Then we had a fight when he got home. Yelling, throwing things, punches, then hot make up time… He’s told me anything else that has come up.”

“It just makes me wonder what else he’s hidden… He says that there’s nothing else, but…”

“You should trust him. Gaku has… a certain effect on people… It probably was just a one-time thing.”

“So I just grin and bear it?”

“You’re still with him. Talk things out, pin him down if you need to. You are bigger than he is…” You smirked and Megumi giggled despite herself.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A few days later, Miyavi and his family stopped by. They’d cut Gackt’s sedation back to the point where he wouldn’t be in pain if he woke up.

Miyavi completely fell apart. It was his first visit and while You waited with Lovelie and Jewelie outside, they heard Miyavi beg his “big brother” to wake up.

~~~

Later that week, while he was waiting for Miyuki to arrive, You watched Gackt intently. He felt Gackt’s fingers twitch.

“You can hear me, can’t you…?” Gackt’s lip twitched.

“The other night… I had a dream about the first time we had sex… Well, when we woke up that morning…” You could swear that Gackt’s lips turned up into a miniscule smile.

~*~

_You’s senses woke from their sleep slowly, the light streaming in the windows behind him having the same effect as a warm blanket. You was warm, happy, and didn’t want to get up yet. Though, as he woke further, reality came flooding back._

_A headache rushed in with a huge amount of muscle soreness, mostly in the lower half of his torso. As he tried to roll, he encountered resistance. That was when he noticed the pair of arms around him._

W-what? _His brain snapped to._

 _He looked at the hand resting in front of him._ Who… What happened last night? _He thought harder than he should have had to. Then he noticed the faint stamp of a club that he frequented. You carefully looked above where they were laying and saw beer cans, a whiskey bottle and 3 glasses. He noticed a ring with a black stone in it._

_Then he saw a leopard thong. He tried to turn to see the person behind him, but was pressed down by the person’s arm. The person behind him pulled him closer, snuggling into him, mumbling “you move too much…” You moved his hand down to scratch an itch, but brushed against something dry and crusty._

_As the person moved, he felt a very strange sensation in his backside._ Ohgod… it’s a man…

_He tried to get out of the man’s hug, but was stopped by his soreness and the man going “Ow…” He recognized that baritone…_

_“G-Gackt…?”_

_The other man was coming to full alertness as well. “Don’t move… apparently. Or it’ll hurt…” He reached over their heads and grabbed a bottle and You’s boxers. “Good thing you switched to whiskey and tonic water…” He soaked You’s boxers then pulled the blanket from the both of them._

_You felt the wet boxers sweep up his rump and stay there, being massaged to let go of its water._

_“What are yo-” he stopped when he felt what he assumed to be Gackt’s dick sliding out of his ass. He shuddered in shame and slight pleasure. It was an odd combination._

_Gackt sat up when he was free and left You’s boxers wedged between his buttcheeks. “Gonna take a shower…” Gackt stood and stepped over You._

_“Wait, you’re just gonna-”_

_“My cock’s been in your ass for far too long… it needs washing.” He kept walking to the bathroom, leaving You there to wallow in soreness._

Jerk… _He was able, however, to look around a little and try to remember the night before. But he just couldn’t get past the haze in his head. He couldn’t see a condom wrapper, though, and he prayed that Gackt was clean._

 _Gackt came out of the bathroom, and You blushed, seeing Gackt naked, for apparently, the second time._ How did that fit back there…?

_”Come on.” You felt a tug on his arm. The crazy, almost-adult wanted him to get up. Gackt nearly carried You to the shower and turned the warm water back on, the showerhead raining down on You’s back. “Put your arms around me.”_

_You did as he was told and Gackt pulled the boxers from his cheeks. He started rubbing little circles from You’s shoulder blades on down._

_He flinched when Gackt’s finger dipped between his lower cheeks. “Relax… This will feel good…”_

_“No.” Gackt went back to rubbing his lower back. “How drunk were we last night…?” He was afraid to know._

_“You were haaaaaaaammmmered. Although, your alcohol tolerance is shamefully low…” He laughed, making You’s knees weak with the sound._

_“How drunk were you?”_

_“I was pretty far gone too,” he lied._ Not as drunk as you think I was…

_"You know… this only happened because I was drunk, right?”_

_“Right…” It sounded like You was trying to convince himself, not order Gackt._

_“Good, just so we’re clear…”_

_“Mmhmm.”_

_“Augh… That feels so good…”_

~*~

“And then you convinced me to do unspeakable things in that tiny little shower, barely making it for recording…” You blushed. “My cherry conditioner was certainly helpful…” You smiled, watching Gackt’s face.

He felt Gackt’s hand twitch again, but stay closed for a little longer than “just a twitch”.

He reached up and stroked Gackt’s cheek. “I don’t regret that day…” He thought he saw Gackt’s eyes under his eyelids move in his direction.

“Yeah… You’re in there…” He kissed the back of his lover’s hand through his mask.

 

~*~*~*~*~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~ [ “Bear](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilizarov_apparatus%E2%80%9D) [trap”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/External_fixation%E2%80%9D). [Plates](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_fixator%E2%80%9D).  
> ~ Hyde and Megumi had another child.  
> ~ Hyde and Gackt had an affair in Taiwan while filming Moon Child. Hyde was married to Megumi at the time. Gackt and You’s fairly new relationship had been having troubles.  
> ~ Flashback takes place not long after they became civil towards each other.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Recovery continues and memories can hurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tissues for everyone! *tosses*. To [](https://hydeist-haido.livejournal.com/profile)[hydeist_haido](https://hydeist-haido.livejournal.com/) ^_^ (everybody else can read it too ^_~)

Chihiro was almost five and a half when the accident happened, so it was a little difficult for You and Miyuki to tell is she understood what had happened. Her fraternal twin cousins, who were closing in on nine, understood so they tried to keep Chihiro occupied so she didn’t miss her “Daddy” too much.

The accident was nearly 4 weeks ago and You was driving again. It was… _interesting_ , but he could do it. One day, he made sure it was Friday afternoon so it didn’t affect school, he asked Chihiro if she wanted to see her daddy. She obviously said “yes”.

Miyuki brought her by the next day, at shift change, so that You could take her home for the night. You heard footsteps in the hall and then Miyuki preparing Chihiro one last time. You had talked to her the night before and he was pretty sure Miyuki had done it in the car too, since he heard Chi say, “I know!”

Miyuki opened the door the rest of the way and Chi nearly bolted to You’s side with a “Papa!” but Miyuki had grabbed the back of her overalls to stop her.

“We need to get clean first.” She held Chihiro up to the sink and had her wash up to her elbows, while You smiled behind his mask. She then set the girl down and put a mask on her, then nodded. “Gently.” Chihiro still hurried over to You while Miyuki cleaned up.

“Hi sweetie.” You helped her onto his lap and face her other father. She shifted in his lap as she processed everything.

“Will Daddy wake up?”

“Maybe, sweetie. We’ll have to wait and see.”

“Oh…”

“He could. You remember our talk last night, right?” She nodded. “He’s not done healing yet, like the Pokémon ICU.”

“Right…” She leaned forward and wrapped her small hand around Gackt’s right index finger. Just by medical accident, you couldn’t tell that Gackt had part of his skull removed, and for that, You was thankful. “Daddy…”

“You can talk to him if you want, honey,” Miyuki piped in as she took a chair next to You. The little girl just shook her head, stroking her thumb on Gackt’s hand.

They sat that way for several minutes, letting Chihiro experience this _her_ way, when suddenly she cried out, “Daddy?”

“Honey?”

“Daddy moved! And his eyes… they’re moving…” She rolled Gackt’s hand, attempting to shake him, before You stopped her. He looked up at the brainwave monitor and while there was more activity, it wasn’t enough to be classified as waking up.

“He’s probably dreaming, sweetie. You have to be careful with Daddy so that you don’t hurt him.”

“But Daddy… his hand…” You kissed the back of his daughter’s head. He’d felt the same way the first time he’d felt Gackt twitch, only to have his hopes shattered when the love of his life didn’t wake up.

“It’s okay, honey…” Miyuki leaned closer and dried Chihiro’s eyes.

She rolled his hand gently, like Papa had said. “Daddy has to wake up… He _has_ to…” They were silent for a while, Chihiro’s little sniffs were the only organic noises in the room.

“Honey, how about Papa takes you home?” You finally looked at the clock. They were diligent on making Chi get enough sleep.

“Okay…” She picked Gackt’s hand up with both of her hands and leaned forward to meet it, kissing the back through her mask.

“I love you Daddy.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_**Car horn… blaring…** _

_You tried to move, but pain shot through his neck. The rest of his senses came crashing back. It smelled like a mechanic’s shop, horn blaring, steam above the hood through the cracked windshield._

_**Cracked windshield, pain… accident?”** _

_**Gackt!** _

_You turned to his right to see a utility pole outside the shattered window. He turned to his left to see Gackt slumped forward, jaw slack, one hand resting in his lap, blood dripping onto his hand and the steering wheel._

_The door and roof were bent in some and You could see the crunched front end of an SUV just outside the window. He brushed the glass out of his lap and took out his phone. While he dialed and waited for 119 to pick up, he took Gackt’s hand. “Gaku,” his voice trembled. “Gaku please…”_

_“119, what is your emergency?”_

_“I’ve b-been in a car crash… an SUV hit us… I don’t know where we are…”_

_“Can you see any street signs or other landmarks?”_

_“I can see a McDonalds…” There was another voice on the other end of the phone._

_“Are you calling from the purple Lamborghini that got hit by an SUV?”_

_“Y-Yes…” His hand tightened on Gackt’s._

_“We’ve had some other calls, emergency units are on their way. What are the injuries?”_

_“My neck and knee hurts… but my driver… he’s unconscious and bleeding… We got hit really hard…”_

_“Alright, stay on the line with me until they get there.”_

_“Gaku… please let me know you’re in there…” You’s voice cracked._

_Gackt’s arm twitched and it sounded like he coughed. His breaths turned into wheezes after that._

_“Please hurry.”_

“Gaku!” You sat up in bed, shaking. He put his tear and sweat drenched face in his hands, crying for a few minutes before getting up and going to their bathroom.

He stared in the mirror before reaching in his drawer and pulling out his new pain medicine bottle. He popped one and took a drink, then washed his face and returned to bed.

He hugged Gackt’s pillow to his chest tightly and cried himself back to sleep.

~*~*~

_The EMTs paid little heed to the fact that their patients were famous. Their job was to save lives, no matter the social status of the victims._

_“Please take care of him!” They heard the taller man yell as their patient was loaded into an ambulance._

_“They will, sir,” one of their colleagues responded. “They’re the best.”_

_As the ambulance weaved through traffic, Sakata too stock of the man’s injuries, calling them in to the hospital: “Broken left tibfib, possible flail chest, probable internal bleeding, probable skull fracture with train trauma, one pupil fixed and dilated…_

~*~

You was talking with the doctor that had taken over when Gackt’s condition was upgraded, Doctor Maeda.

“All of his scans from yesterday look good. We think in a couple of weeks we can remove the external fixture and it’ll be fine in a boot.”

You nodded. _More surgery…_

"His intracranial pressure and swelling have improved too, which is a good sign. Without sounding too hopeful… I believe his chances of waking up are greatly improving.”

You nodded again, his heart fluttering, but brain knowing that even if he woke up that he could also be married to an invalid, or someone with the mind of a child for the rest of their lives.

“This is going to sound like a strange request, but I’d like you to consider it…”

That broke You out of his reverie and he looked at the doctor, wondering what this request might be.

~*~*~

_**Pain…** _

_“Augh…” Gackt groaned as his eyes were assaulted by the bright lights above him._

_“Gackt-san?” He heard above the chatter and beeping. He whined in pain in response and felt two gloved fingers on each cheekbone. He felt air forced against his mouth and nose as he struggled to breathe without pain._

_“Gackt-san, can you please open your eyes?” He sensed a shadow over his face and he opened his eyes to a half blurry face, partly covered by a mask. He tried to escape, but pain shot through his whole body, radiating from his left side. Even scrunching his face in pain hurt._

_“What…?” He managed to croak out as he flinched in pain from something being pressed against his left ribs._

_“You were in a car accident, Gackt-san. You’re in the ER of the Tokyo University Hospital. I need you to wiggle the toes on your right foot. Can you do that?” The doctor looked at Gackt’s feet expectantly and his eyes crinkled as he saw them move. “How about your left?”_

_They moved a little, but Gackt hissed in pain. “Hurts…”_

_“How about your fingers?” They had the same result as his toes._

_“Hurts…” Tears formed in his eyes as the pain was almost too much. Combine that with being in a hospital and his psyche was close to freaking out._

_“I know. You’re going to need surgery, but we need your consent. We’re sure you have several broken ribs, a compound fracture in your leg, and internal bleeding. We’re going to sedate you, intubate, run you through imaging, then the OR, okay?”_

_“Yes!” Gackt squeaked as someone accidentally bumped into the gurney. “W-what about You?”_

_“The other man in the car with you? He’s being checked out by my colleagues. You’re both in very good hands.”_

_“Okay…” Gackt watched the nurse shoot some white fluid into his IV. He noticed it burned a little, but the world quickly went away._

_“Okay folks, show time.”_

_~~~_

_You saw several people usher a gurney past the doors of his exam room. “Where are they taking him?”_

_“Surgery, sir.” A doctor walked in with You’s imaging results. “Nothing is broken, but there is some inflammation, so we’ll take care of that…”_

_You carefully looked down at the clipboard in his lap. So much paperwork… Please let him be okay…_

~*~*~

“I’ll think that over… Thanks for letting me know.”

“Thanks for thinking.” The doctor smiled at You.

The doctor noticed a few spikes in Gackt’s EEG, but only made a mental note of them. “Oh, right. I was waiting to make sure, but for the last week or so, Gackt has been doing most of the breathing on his own. He needs some help sometimes, but he is instigating the majority of his breaths.”

You smiled and looked at Gackt. _Maybe he will wake up…_

Gackt’s fingers tightened on You’s hand. He looked from Gackt to the doctor and back. “Gaku?”

Gackt took a deep breath and his eyebrows twitched. You put his other hand on Gackt’s and stroked it. “Open your eyes for me…”

Gackt’s hand weakly moved like it was trying to grasp something and the fingers on his other hand started moving as well.

“Gackt-san, this is your doctor, my name is Maeda. Can you please open your eyes?”

Gackt’s hands stilled and it looked like all of his effort was going into opening his eyes. They opened, but scrunched back closed because of the brightness. You made a move to turn some lights off, but Gackt’s hand tightened, not wanting to let go of him.

“Could you turn the lights off for him… His eyes, even if they hadn’t been closed for so long, are kinda sensitive…”

Maeda flipped the switch and then adjusted the blinds so they could still see, but be relatively dark.

“It’s darker now, Gaku…” You gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

His eyes opened and it took him a while but he finally focused on You, managing a weak smile. He tried to say “You-chan” but nothing came out. His eyebrows got that inquisitive look.

“Don’t try to talk, Gaku.”

He wondered why and mouthed it in English.

You looked at the doctor. They’d discussed this before, what to tell him when he woke up. “We were in a car accident. You were hurt pretty badly.”

Gackt’s eyes closed. You couldn’t tell if he’d lost consciousness or if he was trying to remember.

“Gaku-”

“Do you remember, Gackt-san?” Dr. Maeda piped in.

Gackt’s head moved side to side, as much as it could in a neck brace, indicating ‘no’. His eyes opened again, with questions in them, but no way to get them out.

“You’ve been in a coma for a month, Gackt-san.” His eyes widened and his hand tightened on You’s. He looked between the two men and what he could see of himself and his heart rate picked up, beeping faster. He squeezed his eyes shut and the doctor saw the glint of a tear run out. Too many thoughts were coming to him at once, his actions being automatic.

“Don’t cry. You have a breathing tube _in_ your throat and you can’t deal with mucus too well.” But it was too late, the path had been decided, and more tears came.

“Gaku, you’re okay.” You took to rubbing Gackt’s arm and the doctor made ready to suction his tracheotomy.

“This is usually not pleasant, so I’m sorry.” He disconnected the leader tubing and carefully suctioned his throat. Gackt had little idea of what was happening and started to panic.

“Whoa…” the doctor muttered as a strange noise came from Gackt. He’d never witnessed someone force air past the tracheotomy tube before. He put the suction tube back and reattached the breathing machine and reached into his pocket.

Gackt tried to move, but his leg, hip, and torso hurt so much. As the doctor walked around the bed, You stood and took Gackt’s face in his hands, making him look at him. “Gaku, focus on me, not Dr. Maeda…” You moved his hands to act like horse blinders when he noticed that he was trying to focus on Dr. Maeda and the needle. “Gaku, you’re okay. _I’m_ okay. You need to calm down. When you wake up next, you can’t panic. I’ll be right here. Be calm when you wake up…” You could tell that Gackt was trying to fight the sedative, but they all knew he would lose. “Be calm…” Gackt’s eyes closed and he relaxed as he succumbed to the drug.

“Be calm…” You bit his lip and sniffed as he stroked the delicate cheek. “I love you…” He leaned forward and kissed his lover’s forehead as tears formed in his eyes. The fear he’d seen in Gackt’s eyes almost scared _him_. He’d seen Gackt this scared only once, and that had been a _very_ long time ago.

~*~*~

You probably shouldn’t have been sleeping the way he was, slumped over onto Gackt’s bed, limply holding his hand, but he couldn’t have cared less. The doctor had said it would be a few hours before the sedative wore off and by some twist, Miyuki had called and said she’d be late.

Gackt opened his eyes to a mostly darkened room. The last rays of the day were coming through the blinds, giving the room and orangey glow. He looked around the room, as much as he could anyway, and then down towards the figure sleeping there. He’d moved while Gackt was surveying the room and Gackt reached for his hand. It was further away than he’d thought and he crawled his fingers on the bed to get there. His body was just so weak.

Unfortunately, finger-crawling still didn’t make it. He put everything he had into pulling on the blanket that was under both of them.

That, or fate, got You’s attention and he woke, slowly stretching as he sat up. A sleepy smile came to his face as he realized that Gackt was awake too.

“Hey you…” You brought his hands down and one took Gackt’s. He was happy to feel it respond.

“You probably want to know about the accident… I’m not supposed to tell you much, because in a few days, the doctor wants to do some tests…” Gackt looked like he understood and squeezed You’s hand for him to continue. “It wasn’t your fault. You got hurt the worst though… I got some whiplash and a banged up knee and ankle… You’ve had a few surgeries and will need a couple more, but you’ll be okay. Right now, getting better is what’s important.”

Gackt looked pensive, wondering how badly things had been. He was also too worn out to be uneasy about being in a hospital. He didn’t remember waking up before, but he remembered something about an accident.

“This is Tokyo University Hospital. You’ve been in an induced, then normal, coma for about a month…”

Gackt looked a little worried. He’d completely lost a month. A month of world events. A month without… It must have been hell for You…

You knew he should tell the nurses, but he wanted an awake Gackt all to himself right now. It had been too long. “Your sister will be here in a little while… She’s been here every night while I go home and see the kids.” He could tell Gackt’s blinks were lasting longer and longer. “It’s okay for you to sleep. Either me or Miyu will be here when you wake… I love you…” He lifted Gackt hand and kissed it as Gackt’s eyes slipped closed and his body went into sleep mode.


	5. (unfinished)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Recovery continues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooh, what’s the supernatural tag for…? (unwritten as of posting... sorry)

Gackt’s eyes fluttered open to a mostly dark room. One table lamp was on and he smiled as he saw his sister buried in her laptop. His right hand stuttered up to his abdomen and he rubbed an itch.

“Don’t scratch too hard,” he heard his sister say. She finally looked up at him and smiled. She closed her laptop and put it away. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you awake.” Her voice wavered in that sentence and she cleared her throat.

Gackt brought his left hand up to his abdomen as well, noticing it was more uncomfortable to move than his right, and that there was a brace on his wrist.

“There was some swelling, so it was probably sprained.” She gently put her hand on his right knee, to see if it was painful, or if he would allow that touch. He didn’t do anything to show opposition, so she rubbed his knee.

“Since you can’t talk yet, and since writing might be a bit much right now, I need to teach you how you’ll communicate.” Her brother nodded a bit in understanding. “It will be mostly yes or no questions and you’ll answer with a hand squeeze, blinks, thumbs up or down, toe wiggles, or head movement. Two for yes and one for no.” She moved her hand to take her brother’s; perhaps even happier than You was when she felt it curl around her hand of its own volition. He was her lil’ brother after all.

“Let’s try, okay?” Gackt squeezed her hand twice.

“One plus one equals two.” Two squeezes.

“I have two children.” Two squeezes.

“You’re a virgin.” One squeeze, harder than the others, along with a smile.

“The sky is blue.” His smile got bigger, indicating that he was going to tease her, but she interrupted, “During the daytime.” Two squeezes. _It wasn’t any color now, since it was nighttime_ his eyes said. Miyuki was glad his mind was still quick, and that he remembered their long-running joke.

“Alright.” She stroked his hand and looked down at his blanket covered leg. “Have you been told about your injuries?” One squeeze. “The doctor said that I could tell you. Do you think you can handle it without panicking?” Two squeezes. He was a lot more awake than he was previously. “You squeeze my hand harder if you want me to stop, okay?” She got two squeezes.

She went through the list, in the same direction that the doctor had gone originally. After each injury she made sure that he understood and wanted to continue.

When she finished, he wasn’t looking at her but down at his leg. She noticed his heart rate pick up. “Gaku, are you okay?” Two squeezes and half a smile. He let go of her hand and made a gesture indicating that he would like to write. Miyuki had to search around to find a pen and paper, then she dragged the wheeled table over and adjusted it. She noticed his eyes seemed a little shiny and he wiped at one.

“Please don’t cry. A nurse would have to come and suction your trach tube and that-”

 _“O-K.”_ he slowly wrote in roman letters. _“On-l-y”_ he started in Japanese. There was a long pause while he found the right words. He slowly and sloppily drew the kanji for ‘water’. Then he looked hard at it, unhappy with how terrible it looked.

Miyuki thought for a moment, trying to interpret that. “Oh! Just misty, not full-blown crying, right?”

He nodded and tried writing his name. The letters G-A-C-K-T were wobbly, but correct. The [kana](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_writing_system), however, although it was only 3 syllables, were a mix of the two systems.

He lost focus and the pen dropped from his hand while he concentrated. He knew the kana was not consistent, but he couldn’t think of the correct ones.

“Gaku, why don’t you rest? Things will be a lot better in a few days. They’ve already changed your nutrition, and unfortunately, the answer to most of the questions you might have is ‘Give it some time’… Your body is still healing.” She took his hand and rubbed his arm to soothe him.

It was like a dimmer switch being slid to the ‘off’ position. His body slowly relaxed in to sleep, against his will, as Miyuki comforted him for a few minutes.

~*~*~

About a week later, Gackt was awake for longer periods of time, had more control of his muscles, and no longer needed the neck and wrist braces. He could also sit more upright. It was still somewhat uncomfortable to breathe and his spelling hadn’t gotten better yet (mixing kana and roman letters), but the quality of his writing had improved.

The wall across from his bed was plastered with Get Well Soon and other cards, as well as art from Chihiro and Miyuki’s children. Both sets of parents had stopped by, happy to see that he was awake and doing fairly well, all things considered.

He’d passed all the tests the doctor had done, but there was room for improvement. There always was, even before the accident, but this room was just to get back to “Basic Gackt”.

It felt strange to have lost a month of experiences. The last he remembered was waking You up at 3 AM so they could go out. He wasn’t sure what for, or if they’d made is to any goal before the accident. The doctor wanted to see if it would come back to him, so You was not supposed to tell him what had happened that day. He wore their cleaned rings on a necklace every day, though most of the time they were under his shirt.

Currently, Gackt’s lawyer was visiting, updating them on the case. The woman that had crashed into them was drunk _and_ texting, with her child in the car. She blew through the red light, so it was not Gackt who was at fault.

They were talking about other things when there was a quiet knock on the door. An older gentleman with a briefcase and a small flower arrangement was waved in by Gackt’s lawyer.

“Gackt, You, this is Yoritomo Satsuki, he is the lawyer for the woman that hit you.”

Gackt had his normal stoic face on as he greeted the older man.

“These flowers are on behalf of my client. They’re silk, so you don’t have to worry about them.” He placed them on the table and retrieved an envelope out of his briefcase. “This is from my client,” he handed the envelope to You. “I am here to apologize on her behalf,” he bowed to the three men in the room. “My client, and it’s in the letter as well, is very sorry that this happened, and she wishes you a speedy recovery.” He bowed again and was taken to the hall by Gackt’s lawyer. They had a couple of things to discuss anyway.

Gackt just scribbled on his notepad out of frustration. _Stupid flowers… stupid lawyer… stupid-_

You noticed his scowl and stopped his hand. “Gaku, let’s just deal with this later, okay?” Gackt pursed his lips and did his ‘Yeah, fine, whatever’ face.

Gackt’s lawyer came back a few minutes later and they chatted until Gackt fell asleep. Then You and the lawyer, after making sure he was asleep, read the letter and talked about the case some more.

~*~*~

(MYSTERY CONTENT XP)

~*~*~

(Later, about a month after Gackt wakes up)

“Daddy!” Chihiro ran towards the bed, mask already on. She stopped, almost crashing into it, and nearly vibrating a hole through the floor to the room below. You smiled in the doorway as he came in, set his travel bag down, and washed up. Gackt had asked for Chihiro to come, he felt that he was ready to see her.

It took him a few seconds to open his eyes, get his bearings, and then react. He occasionally had some pretty heavy meds in him and one was just wearing off. He turned his bandanna adorned head and smiled at his beautiful daughter.

He still had to use more effort than he would have liked to move large parts of his body, but he excellently stroked his daughter’s head. “Hey…” he mouthed.

Chihiro giggled, ecstatic that her father was awake. Then something clicked in her brain. “If Daddy can’t talk, how does he talk?”

You smiled at her phrasing. “He… writes…” it dawned on You and Gackt. Chihiro’s reading skill was not as advanced as theirs yet. You turned and got some hand sanitizer to clean his daughter’s hands.

As his back was turned, Chihiro suddenly piped up, “Papa!”

He whirled around, worried for a split second before seeing that everything was okay.

“Daddy wants to say something.”

You came over and looked at Gackt’s spiral notebook.

_”iPhone?”_

You blinked and then felt horribly stupid. For a month Gackt had had to write things out. And while it was good therapy, it wasn’t exactly efficient, especially right now. You slathered sanitizer on Chi’s hands and then fished in his bag for his phone. He made sure he had enough battery and handed it to Gackt. He took Gackt’s writing pad and wrote something on it while Gackt fiddled with his phone.

 _And the brain trauma patient thinks of it first…”_ He embarrassedly showed Gackt.

Gackt smiled and suddenly the phone started talking. In a _woman’s_ voice. Having a fit of a time, Gackt finally got to the Notes and typed in something.

 _You were busy. But I am still me.”_ Chi cocked her head, not understanding what her Daddy meant, while You laughed and set down the spiral notebook, conceding defeat.

_”Hello Chihiro.”_

“Hi Daddy.”

_”How was school today?”_

“It’s Saturday, Daddy,” Chihiro smiled.

_”Yesterday then._

She smiled and told him how things were going, how her cousins were, how she was the smartest one in her class. About the frog she found in the backyard the other day. All sorts of things that are important to a child. It soon grew late, however, and Chihiro yawned.

 _”Sleep well, sugarplum.”_ ‘The Nutcracker’ was her favorite story, even though it was a little scary.

“I will Daddy.”

_”I love you, Chi.”_

“I love you Daddy.” Gackt kissed his fingers and placed them on his daughter’s nose, stroking her cheek on its way back.

“See you tomorrow, Gaku.” You leaned in and kissed Gackt’s temple. Gackt waved as he watched them leave, feeling tired, but renewed. He was still relieved, though, when the nurse came in to give him his nightly meds.

 

 

They were almost to the car when You finally got his phone to stop talking.


End file.
